diff --git a/bundles/org.eclipse.remote.jsch.core/src/org/eclipse/remote/internal/jsch/core/JSchConnection.java b/bundles/org.eclipse.remote.jsch.core/src/org/eclipse/remote/internal/jsch/core/JSchConnection.java
index 4e83f70adec..325f20c104b 100644
--- a/bundles/org.eclipse.remote.jsch.core/src/org/eclipse/remote/internal/jsch/core/JSchConnection.java
+++ b/bundles/org.eclipse.remote.jsch.core/src/org/eclipse/remote/internal/jsch/core/JSchConnection.java
@@ -171,7 +171,6 @@ public class JSchConnection implements IRemoteConnection {
 	public static final String EMPTY_STRING = ""; //$NON-NLS-1$
 
 	private String fWorkingDir;
-	private boolean fIsOpen;
 
 	private final IJSchService fJSchService;
 
@@ -263,7 +262,6 @@ public class JSchConnection implements IRemoteConnection {
 			}
 		}
 		fSessions.clear();
-		fIsOpen = false;
 		fireConnectionChangeEvent(IRemoteConnectionChangeEvent.CONNECTION_CLOSED);
 	}
 
@@ -661,7 +659,7 @@ public class JSchConnection implements IRemoteConnection {
 	 */
 	@Override
 	public boolean isOpen() {
-		boolean isOpen = fIsOpen & fSessions.size() > 0;
+		boolean isOpen = fSessions.size() > 0;
 		if (isOpen) {
 			for (Session session : fSessions) {
 				isOpen &= session.isConnected();
@@ -814,23 +812,18 @@ public class JSchConnection implements IRemoteConnection {
 	public void open(IProgressMonitor monitor) throws RemoteConnectionException {
 		if (!isOpen()) {
 			checkIsConfigured();
-			SubMonitor subMon = SubMonitor.convert(monitor, 70);
+			SubMonitor subMon = SubMonitor.convert(monitor, 60);
 			Session session = newSession(fManager.getUserAuthenticator(this), subMon.newChild(10));
 			if (subMon.isCanceled()) {
 				throw new RemoteConnectionException(Messages.JSchConnection_Connection_was_cancelled);
 			}
+			//getCwd checks the exec channel before checkConfiguration checks the sftp channel
+			fWorkingDir = getCwd(subMon.newChild(10)); 
 			if (!checkConfiguration(session, subMon.newChild(20))) {
 				newSession(fManager.getUserAuthenticator(this), subMon.newChild(10));
 				loadEnv(subMon.newChild(10));
 			}
-			fIsOpen = true;
-			try {
-				fWorkingDir = getCwd(subMon.newChild(10));
-				loadProperties(subMon.newChild(10));
-			} catch (RemoteConnectionException e) {
-				fIsOpen = false;
-				throw e;
-			}
+			loadProperties(subMon.newChild(10));
 			fireConnectionChangeEvent(IRemoteConnectionChangeEvent.CONNECTION_OPENED);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/bundles/org.eclipse.remote.jsch.core/src/org/eclipse/remote/internal/jsch/core/commands/AbstractRemoteCommand.java b/bundles/org.eclipse.remote.jsch.core/src/org/eclipse/remote/internal/jsch/core/commands/AbstractRemoteCommand.java
index 95ec7aa0fcb..60ea373d49b 100755
--- a/bundles/org.eclipse.remote.jsch.core/src/org/eclipse/remote/internal/jsch/core/commands/AbstractRemoteCommand.java
+++ b/bundles/org.eclipse.remote.jsch.core/src/org/eclipse/remote/internal/jsch/core/commands/AbstractRemoteCommand.java
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractRemoteCommand<T> {
 		 * @see java.util.concurrent.Callable#call()
 		 */
 		@Override
-		public abstract T1 call() throws JSchException, IOException;
+		public abstract T1 call() throws JSchException, IOException, RemoteConnectionException;
 
 		private void finalizeCmdInThread() {
 			setChannel(null);
diff --git a/bundles/org.eclipse.remote.jsch.core/src/org/eclipse/remote/internal/jsch/core/commands/ExecCommand.java b/bundles/org.eclipse.remote.jsch.core/src/org/eclipse/remote/internal/jsch/core/commands/ExecCommand.java
index 0dffebc5217..8e8fb3b2573 100644
--- a/bundles/org.eclipse.remote.jsch.core/src/org/eclipse/remote/internal/jsch/core/commands/ExecCommand.java
+++ b/bundles/org.eclipse.remote.jsch.core/src/org/eclipse/remote/internal/jsch/core/commands/ExecCommand.java
@@ -29,10 +29,12 @@ public class ExecCommand extends AbstractRemoteCommand<String> {
 		final SubMonitor subMon = SubMonitor.convert(monitor, 10);
 		ExecCallable<String> c = new ExecCallable<String>() {
 			@Override
-			public String call() throws JSchException {
+			public String call() throws JSchException, RemoteConnectionException {
 				getChannel().setCommand(fCommand);
 				ByteArrayOutputStream stream = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+				ByteArrayOutputStream err = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
 				getChannel().setOutputStream(stream);
+				getChannel().setErrStream(err);
 				getChannel().connect();
 				while (!getChannel().isClosed() && !getProgressMonitor().isCanceled()) {
 					synchronized (this) {
@@ -46,6 +48,9 @@ public class ExecCommand extends AbstractRemoteCommand<String> {
 				if (getProgressMonitor().isCanceled()) {
 					return ""; //$NON-NLS-1$
 				}
+				if (getChannel().getExitStatus()!=0) {
+					throw new RemoteConnectionException(err.toString());
+				}
 				return stream.toString();
 			}
 		};